Company A

227th Assault Helicopter Battalion

1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)

In the fall of 1968 the entire First Cavalry Division moved south to
III Corps.

Company A, 227th AHB was the first helicopter unit to move south and
took up position initially at Quan Loi, just east of the Fishhook (a section
of the Cambodian border curving down into Vietnam).

On our first day in Quan Loi we were immediately in action, flying troopers
of the First Cavalry Division in a combat assault in support of Firebase
Dot. After a few days of action out of Quan Loi, we moved south to Lai Khe
which was to be our "home" for the forseeable future.

Lai Khe is positioned along the main north-south highway (QL 13, also known as Thunder Road), due
north of Saigon. The First Cavalry Division bases were being spread out
in a wide arc, generally east-west, acting as a shield for Saigon.

We set up the GP tents that had survived the ammo dump explosion at Camp
Evans in amongst the tall rubber trees of Lai Khe.

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Our Company area was located to the south east of the main runway. (Top left - between our flight line (square opening) and the end of the main runway). Across the runway was the HQS of the First Infintry Division.

The photo below shows the initial construction for the mess hall - made
out of wood - imagine. At the end of the Company roadway through the rubber
trees you can see the CO's helicopter parked on the runway apron.

Photo by Howard Burbank

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In early spring of 1969 the A/227 Operations tent was identified with
the sign in the picture below.